File on 4

A series of scandals involving babies and mothers being harmed in hospital have shaken some people’s confidence in NHS maternity care. As a result, many women are looking for alternatives when they give birth. Some are seeking help from outside of the NHS; including paying independent midwives, and even ‘freebirthing’, where they receive no medical support at all. But how safe is this, and is more regulation needed?

File on 4 investigates the cosmetic beauty trade after the first death in the UK following a liquid BBL procedure. Jane Deith meets women who have been disfigured by this and other cosmetic procedures, and considers why existing regulation is struggling to keep up with a growing industry.

A beauty salon in Clapham, London is exposed for the first time in this programme by a trainee who is horrified by what she witnesses. Several women have complained, claiming they were injured and disfigured by the treatment they received there. .

Reporter: Jane Deith

When the rock band Oasis announced they were reuniting, 10 million fans from all over the world joined the queue for tickets. It was the UK’s biggest ever concert launch. Tickets quickly sold out and within hours, many were being offered for sale on secondary ticketing sites at vastly inflated prices. File on 4 investigates the online ticketing market to discover who's ahead of you in the queue - and how they're getting there.

Reporter: Adrian Goldberg

The number of people being recalled to prison after they’ve been released has nearly doubled in recent years. It has come at a significant cost to the public – but has it made the public significantly safer? Most recalls aren’t for further offending. Could the gains made by the early release scheme be undermined by the huge number of people being recalled to prison?

Former prisoner and filmmaker Chris Atkins investigates the opaque world of prison recalls. He speaks to prison reform charities who say arbitrary recalls drag many further into a cycle of crisis and crime and follows one troubled prisoner over five years, who is recalled four times despite never being charged with any new crimes.

Reporter: Chris Atkins

File on 4 examines some of the most contentious statistical, scientific and medical evidence in the Lucy Letby trial. The programme reveals new concerns involving medical evidence presented in court where Letby was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others.

Reporter: Stephanie Hegarty

Mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers came under attack during the riots that swept across the country earlier this month. The courts have been tough on violent disorder, but File on 4 examines how tackling the possible root causes may require an even stronger effort. Tensions over immigration are still simmering, particularly in areas that have long been in economic decline. Paul Kenyon reports.

Producer: Hayley Mortimer

Fishermen from the Philippines, Ghana and Sri Lanka speak out about how badly, they say, they were treated by a Scottish fishing company that hired them. Most of the fishermen have been waiting in the UK for more than 10 years for their case to be heard. Despite two extensive police investigations, no convictions have been secured for human trafficking or modern slavery. This is the first time the fishermen have spoken out.

Reporter and Producer Monica Whitlock.

Image: Fishermen from the Philippines and Ghana who worked on scallop boats.

Over three decades, a priest assessed as posing a risk of “significant harm” to children and vulnerable people worked in the Church of England. But allegations against him didn’t stick, leading to him remaining in post until after he was offered a substantial pay-off. The surprising manner in which he finally left in 2022 raises serious questions about the judgement of Church leaders.

If you have been affected by sexual abuse or violence, details of help and support are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Reporter: Aleem Maqbool

Camp Lejeune is a vast US Marine Corps base in North Carolina. It’s been in operation since the 1940s and covers a massive 240 square miles. But for years it hid a secret. For decades, its water supply was contaminated with harmful chemicals found to increase the risk of some cancers. It’s estimated that one million people might have been exposed to the toxic water.

But it wasn’t just American personnel who were based at Camp Lejeune. Soldiers from all over the world - including from the UK - also spent time there on training exercises and exchange programmes.

Emma Forde hears from the British veterans and their families who lived and worked on the base and have since suffered serious health problems or seen loved ones die from conditions associated with exposure to the water. But despite a compensation scheme for victims being widely reported in the US, there are concerns that those from the UK are still unaware of the serious health risks they were exposed to. And time is running out.

Reporter: Emma Forde

Image: Royal Marine Captain Joe House and Captain Jonathan Lear handing over to each other at Camp Lejeune.

Project Rescue Children claims to save children from trafficking and abuse, but the BBC has uncovered evidence of false and misleading social media posts. The charity's director, Adam Whittington, has raised thousands of pounds from sponsors and donors around the world. But the BBC has found that unsuspecting children are being used as props, and the rescue centres have no children. Project Rescue Children rejects the BBC's findings and says its work has benefitted hundreds of children worldwide.

Reporter: Hayley Mortimer